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Charting the Future of Design Education A Report by the Design Education Review Committee
The Design Education
Review Committee
In August 2017, the Design Education Review Committee
(DERC) was appointed to look into strengthening the
design education system in Singapore. Comprising key
industry players, Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs),
and public service agencies, the DERC was tasked to
propose strategies to:
• Strengthen Singapore’s design higher education
by enhancing existing design programmes in the
IHLs; and
• Embed design in Singapore’s non-design higher
education to increase the appreciation and use of
design across different disciplines.
This report details five recommendations put forth by
the DERC to enhance design higher education in
Singapore. They are:
RECOMMENDATION 1
Strengthen industry links through a Design
Education Advisory Committee
RECOMMENDATION 2
Impart design-led creative thinking skills to
students across more disciplines
RECOMMENDATION 3
Support Continuing Education and Training for
design professionals and educators
RECOMMENDATION 4
Create real-world design learning platforms for
professionals
RECOMMENDATION 5
Empower everyone to learn about design through
modular courses and learning communitiesForeword by Chairman Design Education Review Committee To realise the Design 2025 Masterplan vision for Singapore to become a thriving innovation- driven economy and a loveable city by design, the Design Education Review Committee (DERC) was appointed in August 2017 by the Ministry of Communications and Information to look into strengthening design higher education and embedding design in non-design higher education in Singapore. My committee comprised more than 30 members from diverse backgrounds, including representatives from design and non-design companies, public sector agencies, and Institutes of Higher Learning. Their perspectives provided a holistic review of the design higher education landscape in Singapore. This led to relevant and robust recommendations that address business and workforce needs, informed by the findings from the National Design Industry and Manpower Study, commissioned by the DesignSingapore Council. In developing its recommendations, the DERC also actively engaged various stakeholders through interviews and focus group discussions. With more businesses and government agencies adopting design to innovate their products and services as a competitive edge, we must continue to invest in our design talent to be equipped with transdisciplinary skillsets. Future-ready design talent will not only seize new opportunities in the global market, they will also help create new value for Singapore. More Singaporeans can also benefit from design-led creative thinking skills. This can be achieved through embedding design into the national mindset as an essential life skill. This will help us as individuals and collectively, as a nation, to better navigate complex problems in the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world. To achieve the above, the DERC has proposed five key recommendations that call for close partnerships with the industry, education institutions and public sector agencies. The first is to strengthen industry links through a Design Education Advisory Committee. The second focuses on imparting design-led creative thinking skills across more disciplines. The third is to support continuing education and training for design educators and professionals. The fourth looks at creating real-world design learning platforms for professionals, while the fifth is about empowering everyone to learn design through modular courses and learning communities. With these recommendations, we believe that our design higher education system will continue to serve as one of the key levers for Singapore’s next stage of economic transformation. The DERC is deeply honoured to have had the opportunity to be part of this process to help shape and contribute to Singapore as a Nation by Design. Thank you. Mr Tan Pheng Hock Chairman Design Education Review Committee
Contents List of abbreviations 7 Definition of terms 8 Executive summary 11 Introduction Charting the future of design education 17 RECOMMENDATION 1 Strengthen industry links through a Design Education Advisory Committee 29 RECOMMENDATION 2 Impart design-led creative thinking skills to students across more disciplines 35 RECOMMENDATION 3 Support Continuing Education and Training for design professionals and educators 40 RECOMMENDATION 4 Create real-world design learning platforms for professionals 45 RECOMMENDATION 5 Empower everyone to learn about design through modular courses and learning communities 49 Conclusion Advancing design education in Singapore together 53 Appendix 55 Acknowledgements 59
List of abbreviations
CET Continuing Education and Training
DERC Design Education Review Committee
Dsg DesignSingapore Council
IHLs Institutes of Higher Learning
SAC School Advisory Committee
SSC SkillsFuture Sector Coordinators
ITE Institute of Technical Education
LASALLE LASALLE College of the Arts
NAFA Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
NP Ngee Ann Polytechnic
NYP Nanyang Polytechnic
NTU Nanyang Technological University
NUS National University of Singapore
PET Pre-Employment Training
RP Republic Polytechnic
SFwD Skills Framework for Design
SIT Singapore Institute of Technology
SMU Singapore Management University
SP Singapore Polytechnic
SUSS Singapore University of Social Sciences
SUTD Singapore University of Technology and Design
TP Temasek Polytechnic
7Definition of terms
Design Specialist, Design Integrator, Design-led Creative Thinking and
Design Multiplier and Designpreneur Design Sensibilities
These four archetypes of designers are based Design-led Creative Thinking
on a model developed by the DesignSingapore
Council to understand the different roles of A human-centred approach to solving
designers and the skills that each has: problems by focusing on empathy, ideation
and experimentation. It enables us to
creatively tackle challenges that are ill-defined
Design Specialists or unknown through an iterative process
Educated and trained in design, such by understanding human needs involved,
designers have specialised technical skillsets reframing problems, developing ideas, and
in respective design domains, for example, as testing solutions.
product designers or architects.
Design Sensibilities
Design Integrators The ability to tap into intuition to make sense
of our surroundings, and to communicate
Designers who have skills that go beyond ideas and solutions that are relatable to
the technical design domains, such as others.
change management, process design and
organisational design. They are capable of
facilitating organisational innovation by design
and can help a company innovate and develop
holistic customer experiences across business
units.
Design Multipliers
Advocates of design who are specialists in a
non-design domain. They can apply design in
their domain of work to improve a company’s
processes.
Designpreneurs
Owners or business developers of design
products or brands who balance design
sensibilities with strong business acumen.
They have entrepreneurial capabilities to
lead the business development of products
or brands, and are custodians of design
businesses.
8Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary and Place-making, Object-making,
Transdisciplinary Image-making and Experience-making
Multidisciplinary The DesignSingapore Council defines the
economic contributions of the design sector
Situations in which several disciplines as constituting active firms that provide design
cooperate but remain unchanged. consultancy in the following sub-sectors:
Interdisciplinary Place-making
To integrate or synthesise perspectives from Architecture Services, Landscape Design and
several disciplines. Landscape Architecture, and Interior Design.
Transdisciplinary Object-making
The transcendence of disciplinary norms, Industrial and Product Design, and
sometimes in the pursuit of a fusion of Fashion Design.
disciplines. This approach is oriented to
complexity or real-world problem solving
Image-making
and results in innovation and creation of
new value. Advertising, and Art and Graphic Design.
Experience-making
Design Strategy, Service Design, User
Interface/User Experience (UI/UX) Design
and Design Research.
9EX ECU T I V E S U MMA R Y
Executive summary
In an ideas-driven economy, those who can overcome existing paradigms to enable
1.
economic and social innovation will lead the way. Design drives innovation by creating
new value and markets, spurring economic competitiveness, as well as by offering
a human-centred approach to tackling societal challenges. Design also shapes our
national identity, making Singapore both a liveable and loveable city.
2. A workforce that is skilled in design can play an instrumental role in enabling
our companies to remain competitive through innovation in the midst of industry
transformation. A vibrant design education system across Pre-Employment Training
and Continuing Education and Training (CET) contexts is essential in equipping
Singaporeans with the awareness and ability to use design.
3. Over the last five decades, design education in Singapore has contributed to the growth
of a workforce with many well-trained design specialists and design entrepreneurs.
However, the future economy requires more designers who can integrate knowledge
and methods from different design disciplines, and operate in non-design contexts.
Beyond designers, we also need non-designers who are equipped with design-related
skills to enable innovation in the workplace. Design education in Singapore will need to
be continually updated to build up such a workforce.
4. In August 2017, the Ministry of Communications and Information appointed the Design
Education Review Committee (DERC) to propose strategies that Institutes of Higher
Learning (IHLs) could adopt to strengthen their design education programmes, and to
embed design in their non-design education programmes. The committee is chaired by
Mr. Tan Pheng Hock, and comprises key employers, education institutions and public
service agencies.
5. The DERC envisions that by 2025, Singapore will have more innovative and flexible ways
for people to learn about design, facilitated by design educators who are up-to-date
with the latest industry needs and developments. Such a design education system will
nurture generations of citizens who are able to leverage design to improve the lives
of fellow Singaporeans and contribute to our community and economy. To realise this
vision, the DERC proposes five recommendations.
11EX ECU TI V E S U MMA R Y
RECOMMENDATION 1
Strengthen industry links through a Design Education Advisory
Committee
6. The design curriculum of the future must be agile enough to adapt to, and capitalise on
economic and industry shifts. The IHLs understand this and have put in place systems
and processes that enable them to identify and respond quickly to industry and global
trends. These efforts can be strengthened by increasing the access of IHLs to industry
experts from design and non-design industries, and to draw on their insights to inform
curriculum development and review.
a. Strengthen education and industry links
7. The DERC recommends the formation of a Design Education Advisory Committee
(DEAC) which will comprise key industry leaders from design and non-design sectors,
representatives from public service agencies, and international thought leaders.
8. The DEAC will offer the IHLs another touchpoint to regularly obtain information
about the latest industry trends and emerging skills needed by the industry. These
perspectives and insights can inform the development of programmes at the IHLs,
ensuring that programmes remain relevant and future-ready. The DEAC can also
provide IHLs with additional resources and opportunities for collaboration with the
industry to help enrich students’ learning experience.
b. Align programmes with industry needs through the Skills Framework for Design
9. The DERC recommends that the DEAC provides advice to the IHLs on the application of
the recently developed Skills Framework for Design (SFwD) to their programmes. This
framework identifies the jobs required by the future economy, which include emerging
design roles in non-design industries, and the skillsets needed for professionals to
move into them. The DEAC will be well-placed to advise the IHLs on the skills required
of design graduates at different levels of study, taking reference from the SFwD.
RECOMMENDATION 2
Impart design-led creative thinking to students across more disciplines
Unlike the linearity of the conventional way of problem-solving, design-led creative
10.
thinking, such as the design thinking process, is iterative in nature. It helps nurture a
mindset in users that prototyping and repeated experimentation is a necessary step in
improvement rather than a point of failure. This ability to rapidly innovate solutions to
complex issues will increasingly become essential, making design-led creative thinking
a valuable and relevant life skill.
12EX ECU T I V E S U MMA R Y
Design-led creative thinking can be learnt most effectively through transdisciplinary
11.
collaborations when practitioners of different disciplines work together to understand,
ideate, and experiment to solve real-world problems. Many IHLs offer transdisciplinary
platforms and programmes that support the learning and cultivation of design-led
creative thinking. Examples include the Singapore University of Technology and Design’s
Design Odyssey programme, and the Singapore Management University’s SMU-X
programme.
a. Promote transdisciplinary platforms to cultivate design-led creative thinking
12. The DERC recommends that IHLs build on their existing efforts and incorporate
programmes and platforms for students from different schools to learn and practise
design-led creative thinking together within their core curriculum.
Pilot Programme: “Let’s Design Together”
Singapore Polytechnic will pilot a programme called “Let’s Design Together”, through
13.
an elective module in the new academic year starting in October 2019. This credit-
bearing, semester-long programme brings together students from the polytechnic’s
different participating schools to solve real-world issues through design-led approaches
with industry partners. Findings from this pilot will be shared with other IHLs for
consideration, should they wish to incorporate a similar platform within their core
curriculum.
RECOMMENDATION 3
Support Continuing Education and Training for design professionals
and educators
Organisational processes and services are being redesigned in the midst of economic
14.
and industry transformation, presenting new opportunities for design professionals.
Non-design industries are expected to increase their employment of designers
significantly in the next five years as they leverage design to stay competitive. Design
professionals need to be transdisciplinary and operate beyond design disciplines as
Design Integrators to seize opportunities in areas of emerging growth and employment
demand. These areas are found at the intersections of design, business and technology,
such as in Business Design, Service or Experience Design, Strategic Design and
Design Research.
In addition, changes in technology and trends in automation require the workforce
15.
to continually upgrade their skillsets to stay relevant. It is imperative for design
professionals to develop and hone strategic, management, analytical and
communication skills in order to function beyond single-discipline job roles. CET
for design professionals is thus critical to enable them to seize new employment
opportunities, and to create new value for businesses and the economy.
13EX ECU TI V E S U MMA R Y
a. Deepen strategic, management, analytical and communication skills through
enhanced CET programmes and incentives for design professionals to take on the
role of a “Design Integrator”
The DERC recommends that CET programmes and incentives be enhanced to support
16.
the deepening of strategic, management, analytical and communication skills for
design professionals. Currently, individuals can tap into a range of CET programmes
and incentives such as the DesignSingapore Scholarship and SkillsFuture Study
Awards, as well as the Workforce Singapore’s Professional Conversion Programmes
which is targeted at Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians, including
mid-career switchers, to undergo skills conversion and move into new occupations
and progress vertically within the design field, or laterally into other industries. More
DesignSingapore Scholarships and SkillsFuture Study Awards for the design sector may
be awarded to individuals who have an interest in acquiring non-design skills that help
them become Design Integrators. CET training providers can take reference from the
SFwD to develop CET programmes that meet the skills gap and needs of the design and
non-design sectors.
b. Support design educators to maintain industry relevance through a skills
competency matrix
Design educators and CET trainers will also need to stay up-to-date with the latest
17.
industry trends and pedagogical practices. To guide their professional development, the
DERC recommends that a skills competency matrix be developed for them. A new track
focusing on Education could be included in the SFwD, which currently covers the four
tracks of Design, Business, Innovation and Technology. Apart from providing clarity on
the skills that design educators and CET trainers need to perform their roles, the matrix
will also guide other design professionals who are interested in working as educators
and CET trainers. The DERC believes that the proposed DEAC will be well-placed to
advise on the development of this matrix.
The DERC also recommends expanding the focus areas of the SkillsFuture Study
18.
Awards for the design sector to include design educators and CET trainers. This will
better support their professional development and help to groom the future leaders of
design education in Singapore.
RECOMMENDATION 4
Create real-world design learning platforms for professionals
Design-led creative thinking is useful in helping individuals adopt a human-centred
19.
approach when designing solutions to challenges and problems. Mastery of such a skill
requires practice.
14EX ECU T I V E S U MMA R Y
a. Enable real-world design learning beyond the formal curriculum
The DERC recommends the creation of more real-world learning platforms where
20.
professionals can come together to deepen their learning of design-led creative thinking
and hone their skills by devising possible solutions to social and economic challenges.
One way to support this is through creating experiential learning spaces—physical or
virtual—where professionals can learn design-led creative thinking skills and apply it
to real-world situations together. These can be facilitated by designers and experts in
design-led creative thinking.
Pilot Programme: “School of X”
The DesignSingapore Council (Dsg) will launch a pilot real-world open learning platform
21.
to offer professionals the opportunities to learn and practise design thinking, and to
co-create solutions for the community. Called the “School of X”, it will bring together
both the private and public sectors to tackle complex social and economic issues that
can benefit from a design-led creative thinking approach. Through such experiences,
participants will better appreciate design as a framework and develop a mindset for
creative problem-solving, beyond solely being a tool for aesthetics. Instead of being
formally assessed on how they approach the challenges, participants will learn from
feedback from fellow collaborators and facilitators.
To ensure sustainability and growth, the Dsg will develop the framework for the “School
22.
of X”, which the DERC hopes can be adopted by other organisations to offer their own
real-world design learning platforms.
RECOMMENDATION 5
Empower everyone to learn design through modular courses and
learning communities
In line with the Design 2025 vision of developing design as a national skillset, more
23.
opportunities can be created for the public to learn and apply design-led creative
thinking. While there are many existing design programmes offered by the IHLs and
other training providers, these are typically focused on preparing professional designers
for work. New courses and programmes with lower barriers to entry will provide
opportunities for more people, including those without design backgrounds, to learn
about design and develop design sensibilities. This can be part of the range of lifelong
learning opportunities offered through modular courses in the SkillsFuture Series.
a. Create more modular courses in emerging design domain areas
The DERC recommends that more modular courses in emerging design domains be
24.
offered to individuals at all stages of learning—from beginner to intermediate to advanced
15EX ECU TI V E S U MMA R Y
levels—to learn critical skills in design concepts and design literacy. This is particularly
so in the domains of Service or Experience Design, Business Design, Strategic Design and
Design Research. A variety of modular courses in design offer individuals the flexibility to
make decisions based on their needs and interests.
b. Promote lifelong learning in design
It takes time to acquire knowledge and subject matter expertise in design. The DERC
25.
recommends that efforts in promoting lifelong learning in design skillsets be ramped up
through ground-up learning communities throughout Singapore. These communities will
serve as a space for people to exchange ideas and inspire one another to learn about design.
In addition, the DERC recommends leveraging existing national movements such as the
SkillsFuture Festival to raise public awareness of design as an important life skill.
By developing a culture of lifelong learning, different groups of people—from the general
public to design experts—can learn about and appreciate design and its application in real-
world contexts.
Advancing design education in Singapore together
This report outlines strategies to help all Singaporeans appreciate the value of design and
26.
apply it to their work and everyday lives through education and training. The DERC hopes
that these recommendations will help further develop Singapore’s design education
system to offer innovative ways for all to learn design, with high-quality programmes
that are facilitated by forward-looking and industry-relevant design educators and
CET trainers. Realisation of these strategies requires key stakeholders, including the
IHLs, public service agencies, and industry to come together. Singaporeans must also
take ownership of their personal education. As more citizens appreciate design as an
important skillset rather than purely an aesthetic discipline, it will help bring the economy
to the cutting-edge of innovation and make Singapore a more liveable and loveable city.
16I N T R O D U CT I O N
INTRODUCTION
Charting the future
of design education
Vision 2025: An innovation-driven economy and a loveable city
The year is 2025. Singapore is a thriving innovation-driven economy and a loveable
i.
city. Companies are adept at reinventing themselves to seize new opportunities, and
individuals are capable of devising design-led creative thinking approaches to meet
social and economic needs. Driving this transformation is a workforce equipped with
design as a national skillset. Designers and non-designers alike are able to appreciate
the value of design, and harness it to create new value propositions, tackle complex
issues, and improve the quality of life. Design is embedded in our society through these
two aspects:
• Design talent with transdisciplinary skillset
Designers who not only excel in specialist design domains, but also possess
skillsets in non-design disciplines such as business and technology. They are
able to draw on their knowledge of multiple domains, and integrate them to
create new products and services that meet industry needs.
• A workforce with design sensibilities
Working professionals who possess design sensibilities and have the ability to
apply design-led creative thinking approaches to solve complex issues. They can
drive business transformation and co-create better living environments.
Undergirding these developments is a strong design education system that provides
ii.
innovative and flexible ways for people to learn about design in educational institutions
and beyond the formal curriculum. In addition, design educators are well-informed of
the latest industry trends because they have multiple touchpoints with the industry.
They are able to facilitate in-depth learning in design domains and other emerging
non-design disciplines.
17I N T R O D U CT I O N
Preparing the design workforce of the future
Design 2025 vision can be realised if we recognise and respond to the evolving role of
iii.
designers. Previously, designers were hired to package the look and feel of a company’s
products and services. Today, they are increasingly sought after by a range of industries
and public service agencies to create strategic competitive advantages, and to help
companies respond more nimbly to market opportunities by transforming systems,
experiences and organisations.
Five trends in the design industry landscape
iv. In focus group discussions conducted by the DesignSingapore Council (Dsg) and
SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), with industry members to formulate the Skills
Framework for Design (SFwD)1, five trends emerged that reflect how the function of
design has changed:
1. Design as Catalysts
Companies are integrating designers into teams with engineers and developers to
create new value for businesses. To serve as catalysts for value creation, designers
need to possess deep knowledge not only in the craft of design, but also in business
and technology. This helps them take on strategic and managerial roles too.
2. Cultural and Organisational Transformation
Organisations are increasingly championing a more collaborative working culture
based on empathy and communication. Designers play an important role in
facilitating the development of human-centred problem-solving approaches to
shape organisational culture.
3. System Approach to Complexities
usinesses are recognising the value of design in navigating complex systems,
B
interfaces and environments in order to optimise performance. Designers must
better understand cultural nuances, relationships and the human psyche in order
to deliver thoughtful and meaningful experiences.
4. Design for New Technological Platforms
As machines become more ubiquitous in our lives, there is a growing trend
of delivering more human-centric and immersive end-to-end experiences.
Designers are expected to be agile and versatile enough to design for omni-
channels2. They must exercise empathy in order to create seamless solutions in
a fast-evolving technological landscape.
1 The Skills Framework is an integral component of the Industry Transformation Maps and it is co-created by Employers, Industry
Associations, Education Institutions, Unions and Government for the Singapore workforce. It aims to create a common skills language
for individuals, employers and training providers. The SFwD provides key information on sectors, career pathways, occupations, job
roles, as well as existing and emerging skills required for design occupations and job roles. For more information, please see
https://www.skillsfuture.sg/skills-framework/design
2 Omnichannel is a cross-platform content strategy that organisations use to improve their user experience. Rather than working in
silo, these platforms are designed to integrate and cooperate. For example, an integrated retail experience is created from shopping
online, on mobile applications, and from the interactions and exchanges that take place in the physical stores.
18I N T R O D U CT I O N
5. Sustainability and Ethics
In an increasingly complex world, discussions on the ethical implications of
design are more pressing than ever. Designers must be proficient in regulations
governing data privacy, intellectual property, sustainability, diversity, inclusivity
and accessibility.
The four archetypes of designers
The five trends will have an impact on the design industry manpower landscape in
v.
Singapore. Currently, designers mainly work in four areas of the design sector:
Place-making (e.g. Architecture and Environmental Design), Object-making
(e.g. Industrial and Product Design), Image-making (e.g. Advertising and Visual
Communications) and Experience-making (e.g. Service Design and User Interface/User
Experience [UI/UX] Design). Designers are also employed in the non-design sectors,
typically within in-house design teams or management teams. Dsg has developed a
model outlining the four archetypes of designers and the skills that each possesses:
Broad-based skillset
DESIGNPRENEURS DESIGN MULTIPLIERS
Business owners Advocates
& developers
Owners or business developers of a design Advocates of design whose specialisation is
product or brand who balance design in a non-design domain, such as
sensibilities with strong business acumen. engineering. They have the ability to
They have broad-based skillsets to fuel incorporate design in a value chain to
business growth and ensure the improve their company’s processes through
sustainability of their product or brand. their respective domains of work, for
As entrepreneurs, they lead the business example, in technology, sales, production
development of their own designs and are and business management.
design business custodians.
DESIGN SPECIALISTS DESIGN INTEGRATORS
Practitioners In-house design
& innovation teams
Practitioners who are educated and trained in Typically working within in-house design and
design, and have specialised technical innovation teams, these professionals have
skillsets in their respective domains of design skillsets that transcend the technical design
such as in the place-making, object-making, domains. They have additional skillsets in areas
image-making, and experience-making such as change management, process design
sub-sectors (for example, architects, product and organisational design. Such professionals
designers, graphic designers or service can help a company innovate and develop
Specialised skillset
designers). They have strong creative and holistic customer experiences across business
visualisation skills and are able to translate units as they are capable of facilitating
ideas and concepts into actual products. They organisational innovation by design.
can implement design briefs and manage the
development of concepts.
Design Domain Knowledge Non-design Domain Knowledge
The four archetypes of designers
19I N T R O D U CT I O N
Between 2017 and 2022, it is estimated that 12,000 new design jobs will be created in
vi.
Singapore and the archetypes required will be in the ratio of 4:2:1 (Design Specialist:
Design Integrator:Design Multiplier). The fastest growth in demand will be for Design
Integrators3. As businesses increasingly use design to transform their organisations,
Singapore needs designers who transcend the traditional role of Design Specialists
or Designpreneurs to operate in non-design contexts. Design Integrators marry their
core expertise in design with relevant non-design skills and deep industry knowledge.
Beyond designers, we also need Design Multipliers. They are non-designers skilled in
other domains but who are equipped with transferable design-related skillsets that can
be tapped on to fuel innovation in the workplace.
The five trends in the design industry and the growth in demand for emerging design
vii.
roles, suggest a fast-changing employment landscape. All individuals need adaptive
skillsets to remain versatile in such an environment. The key to embedding design
skillsets across different areas in our society is to enhance Singapore’s design
education system across the Pre-Employment Training (PET) and Continuing Education
and Training (CET) space.
Reimagining design higher education in Singapore
A review of Singapore’s design higher education landscape
Since the 1960s, Singapore has leveraged design to drive industry transformation and
viii.
to develop its competitive edge. One of the first national design schools, the Baharuddin
Vocational Institute, was established in 1968 as a technical and applied arts college
offering professional pathways in fields such as commercial art, handicraft, fashion,
printing, and woodworking. Over the next two decades, design gained an increasingly
prominent role in Singapore and started featuring in the mainstream education system.
In the late 1980s, the Economic Development Board and the then-Trade Development
Board (now Enterprise Singapore) began facilitating the development of industrial
design to help local businesses internationalise. As part of the evolution of Singapore’s
industrial and trade landscape, the design education system was expanded with the
establishment of design schools within the polytechnic system.
Today, the design higher education landscape is made up of more than 70 PET design
ix.
courses offered across six Autonomous Universities (AUs), five polytechnics, the
Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and two Arts Institutions (AIs)—LASALLE College
of the Arts (LASELLE) and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA). (See Appendix)4.
This network of institutions has nurtured the bulk of Singapore’s design workforce over
the decades, which today numbers some 38,500 professionals across all industries5.
3 Based on findings from National Design Industry and Manpower Study 2017.
4 Based on data from the Ministry of Education (MOE). This excludes engineering and media related design programmes.
5 Based on findings from National Design Industry and Manpower Study 2017 and the MOE’s Graduate Employment Survey 2016.
20I N T R O D U CT I O N
Over the last five decades, design education in Singapore has contributed to the growth
x.
of a workforce of Design Specialists with deep technical expertise. However, the future
economy requires more Design Integrators who can integrate knowledge from different
disciplines into the work they do. More non-designers who are equipped with design-
related skills are also needed to drive innovation in the workplace as Design Multipliers.
The design education system will need to be continually enhanced to build up such a
workforce.
The Design Education Review Committee
In August 2017, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) appointed the
xi.
Design Education Review Committee (DERC) to look into strengthening the design
education system in Singapore. The DERC chaired by Mr. Tan Pheng Hock, comprises
key industry players, Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), and public service agencies
(see “Acknowledgements” for a full list of members).
xii. The DERC was tasked to propose strategies to:
• Strengthen Singapore’s design higher education by enhancing existing design
programmes in the IHLs; and
• E
mbed design in Singapore’s non-design higher education to increase the
appreciation and use of design across different disciplines.
The DERC adopted a design thinking approach to review Singapore’s design higher
xiii.
education, and supported their findings with in-depth research. Two sub-workgroups
were established, consisting of more than 30 members from the design industry,
employers of designers, academics, as well as school leaders from the AUs,
polytechnics and the AIs.
The insights and ideas gathered from four sessions of discussion on selected topics
xiv.
were then developed into prototypes with committed partnership. In addition, over
40 interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with individuals from the
design education system to delve into the issues surfaced from the DERC discussions.
These interviews and focus group discussions also highlighted potential challenges in
implementing the DERC’s preliminary recommendations.
The detailed study conducted by the DERC was also informed by findings from the
xv.
concurrent National Design Industry and Manpower Study (NDIMS) in 2017, and the
SFwD which was developed in 2018. Both initiatives provide comprehensive analyses
on Singapore’s design manpower landscape, as well as the industry trends and
employment outlooks in both the design and non-design sectors.
21I N T R O D U CT I O N
This report details five recommendations put forth by the DERC to enhance design
xvi.
higher education in Singapore. They are:
RECOMMENDATION 1
Strengthen industry links through a Design Education Advisory Committee
RECOMMENDATION 2
Impart design-led creative thinking skills to students across more disciplines
RECOMMENDATION 3
Support Continuing Education and Training for design professionals and educators
RECOMMENDATION 4
Create real-world design learning platforms for professionals
RECOMMENDATION 5
Empower everyone to learn about design through modular courses and learning
communities
Some of these recommendations are tied to pilot programmes that the Dsg will work
xvii.
with partners to prototype, test and refine. In developing these recommendations,
the DERC took into account existing efforts by the IHLs and various stakeholders in
education to infuse design into higher education curriculum and programmes. The
DERC hopes that these efforts will be built on to develop a design education system
that meets the evolving manpower needs of the future economy and propel Singapore
into a hub for design education in Asia and around the world.
22SU M M AR Y O F R E C O MME N DAT IO N S
DESIGN 2025 VISION
Singapore to be a thriving innovation-driven
economy and a lovable city by design
WE WANT
A global, resilient workforce that will use design to help Singapore thrive
in the future economy. We need a workforce that:
Consists of design talent with Possesses design sensibilities
transdisciplinary skillsets for the wider economy
WE NEED
A sustainable design education system to nurture a pipeline of talent.
We need Institutes of Higher Learning and training providers that:
Provide more innovative and Support the professional
flexible ways of learning development of design educators
5 RECOMMENDATIONS
to achieve an enhanced design education system
Support Continuing Education and Training Create real-world design learning
for design professionals and educators 3 4 platforms for professionals
Impart design-led creative Empower everyone to learn about
thinking skills to students 2 5 design through modular courses
across more disciplines and learning communities
1
Strengthen industry links through a Design
Education Advisory Committee
23TAL EN T I N T H E YE A R 2 0 2 5
Talent with transdisciplinary skillsets
By 2025, our designers will not only excel in specialist design domains, but will also
possess skillsets that transcend disciplinary norms. They will bring together knowledge
in design and other disciplines to innovate and create new products and services that
meet industry needs.
Adrian
A lead designer in a multinational company
in his mid-thirties
eading a team that creates solutions and
L
services for the healthcare industry, Adrian Adrian
is highly skilled in design and can tailor
products and processes that are convincing
to his largely non-design stakeholders. To
redesign a hospital interior, he used data
analytics to measure the impact of his team’s
work and confirmed it increased the service
efficiency of the staff.
drian’s success in producing a wide range of
A
work that is relevant for the health industry
stems from his studies at the product and
industrial design programme of a local
polytechnic. His parents supported his choice
to study design because of Singapore’s strong
design education programmes. Indeed, Adrian was not only trained by lecturers who were
current with the latest industry developments but their experiential learning approach
spurred his interest in design further. As part of a course module, he even collaborated
with his peers from the schools of business, electrical engineering and health sciences
to tackle a challenge set by the industry. The experience demonstrated how design could
play a transformative role in other disciplines and ignited Adrian’s interest in developing
skillsets complementary to design. Upon graduation, he pursued an industrial design
degree, and later completed a design Master of Business Administration (MBA), with a
minor in design management.
quipped with skillsets that straddled design and business, Adrian joined a multinational
E
company where he comfortably took on various different portfolios throughout his career.
From operations to marketing, he successfully applied design to transform each aspect
of the business. This track record of success propelled him to become the company’s lead
designer today.
24TALEN T IN T H E YE A R 2 0 2 5
Rani
A senior experience designer in a local Small Medium Enterprise
in her late twenties
hile pursuing a computer science degree
W
at a local university, Rani also took up Rani
several design modules—UX Design,
Game Design and the Design of Interactive
Systems—that counted towards her academic
credits. She also had many opportunities
to work on design projects. For instance,
Rani collaborated with students from the
design school on many projects. During
an internship, she also coded a game for
a popular social media platform and was
involved in its design.
he exposure to design was useful when Rani
T
graduated and began freelancing as a web
and mobile applications developer. She could
successfully mix her computer science knowledge with design principles, and after a year,
Rani joined a local Small Medium Enterprise (SME) as a software engineer to develop
applications deployed for a base of a few thousand users. With her design experience, she
proved useful in taking on tasks that required UI (User Interface) and UX design, as well as
providing technical consultancy to the other teams.
Two years into the job, Rani was promoted to be a senior experience designer. This gave
her the opportunity to take on a bigger role in design—something which Rani had been
developing for years. Leading teams to look into the UI/UX design of the company’s
products, her background in both computer science and design was a plus. She could
provide technical implementation advice to front-end developers and also function as a
UI/UX designer.
With such diverse skillsets and versatility, Rani is confident about the future and her
options in pursuing a variety of careers in computer science or design.
25TAL EN T I N T H E YE A R 2 0 2 5
Talent with design sensibilities
for the wider economy
By 2025, the workforce will also possess design sensibilities—the ability to tap into
intuition to make sense of our surroundings, and to communicate ideas and solutions
that are relatable to others. They will embrace design and use it to transform businesses
and co-create better living environments.
Sally
A senior hospital administrator
in her early fifties
As a hospital administrator with a heart for
Sally
patients, Sally has been trying to address the
high rates of missed medical appointments.
Not only does this make scheduling
challenging for her team of administrative
executives, missing medical appointments
would also be dangerous for the patients.
fter hearing about how design can be used
A
to improve lives, she participated in an open
innovation platform to learn more. Unlike a
formal course, which involves a longer-term
commitment, this week-long platform brings
together people of different backgrounds to
use design approaches to tackle a real-world
problem.
ally learnt the principles of design thinking while working with a group to help the visually
S
impaired more easily navigate the neighbourhood she lives in. The experience helped her
understand the perspectives of users, and Sally realised she had long viewed her work
issue from an operational perspective. Missed medical appointments reflected more
than just gaps in the administrative process, but also the needs of patients. For example,
many were late or missed appointments because of difficulties with transportation
arrangements. By understanding the needs of the user, her team could develop better
solutions that address the root of the problem.
er fruitful experience got Sally to encourage her colleagues to sign up for the learning
H
platform too. As there are no assessments, she felt freer to experiment with new ideas
and could focus on learning and acquiring skills through collaborating with others on an
iterative process. Convinced that design can be a powerful tool, Sally has also incorporated
this way of working in her job and everyday life.
26TALEN T IN T H E YE A R 2 0 2 5
I n 2025, Singapore’s design education will nurture future-ready designers. Design
educators are well-informed of industry trends and developments as they are
practitioners or have accessible touchpoints with industry players. They can also employ
innovative approaches to facilitate deeper learning in design, industry developments, and
other emerging disciplines such as artificial intelligence.
Faizal
A lecturer of an Experience and Product Design diploma programme
in his mid-forties
hen Faizal was nominated for an
W
outstanding design educator award, his Faizal
students not only commended him for
his teaching but his knowledge in the
latest industry developments. In class,
he could bring alive theoretical concepts
with real-world examples from his years
of working as a designer. Even now, he
continues taking on consultancy work
and ropes in his students from time to
time to partner in projects. This has
helped Faizal’s students gain insights
into the work of a designer, including the
soft skills needed to manage projects,
work with clients and communicate
effectively.
rior to joining the polytechnic’s design school as a full-time lecturer, Faizal worked for
P
over 15 years as a product designer. The career switch did not mean leaving the industry
as he continues to stay abreast with the latest developments through industry sharing
and networking sessions. Most recently, he also underwent a two-month attachment with
the service design team in a multinational company. This was arranged by the school
in recognition of his four years of service—just one of the many opportunities design
educators have to develop themselves professionally.
he attachment gave Faizal new insights into his teaching, and he has updated his lesson
T
materials and also offered new ideas during his school’s regular curriculum review. In
addition to keeping up with the industry, he has also been upgrading himself as an educator
by attending courses on pedagogy and curriculum development. By continuously developing
himself as both a designer and an educator, Faizal is confident of training his students to
become the designers of tomorrow.
2728
R ECOMME N DAT I O N 1
RECOMMENDATION 1
Strengthen industry
links through a Design
Education Advisory
Committee
1. A review of design education initiatives in the Institutes of Higher
Learning
The DERC recognises that the IHLs have long maintained a close nexus between design
1.1.
curriculum and industry needs. This is done through systems and processes that enable
them to stay updated with industry and global trends, and to make timely adjustments
to their curriculum. The IHLs are also broadening the scope of the design curriculum
by offering modules in core employability and life skills, and organising internships for
students to acquire the necessary skillsets and experience to prepare them for work.
Designing a holistic curriculum
Alongside developing design skills and capabilities, the IHLs ensure that design
1.2.
students are prepared for future employability by helping them develop life skills that
extend beyond technical competencies. For example, all students at the Nanyang
Polytechnic (NYP) have to take Personal Career Strategy (PCS) modules in their
first and second year of studies. This equips students with self-management and
decision-making skills to attain personal and financial well-being, achieve professional
development and career goals, and build positive relationships in life and at work.
Students at the ITE undergo a life skills module that uses a project-based learning
29R ECO M M E N DAT I O N 1
approach to impart communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving
skills. The Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) students take at least one module with service-
learning as a pedagogy, and they have the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge
on to a community project and effect positive social change. All second-year students
from the Singapore Polytechnic (SP) must take a 45-hour institution-wide module, the
Social Innovation Project, where they use design thinking methodology to address a
local social issue.
1.3. Within the formal curriculum, the IHLs also provide opportunities for design students
to gain exposure to non-design subjects and adjacent skillsets. At the LASALLE College
of the Arts (LASELLE), all degree programme students undertake an interdisciplinary
module as part of their course. The curriculum in the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
(NAFA) allows design students to take subjects such as “Design and Brand Strategy”
and “Entrepreneurship in the Arts” to broaden their learning, and to make it more
industry-relevant.
In addition to offering electives beyond the design disciplines, the IHLs have also
1.4.
created platforms to enable students from different courses to learn together. Inter-
school collaborations at the Republic Polytechnic (RP) take the form of final-year
projects and competitions.6 At the National University of Singapore (NUS), students
from the Industrial Design and Architecture departments engage in joint-department
studio collaborations for a semester. The Interdisciplinary Final Year Project (ID-FYP)
was recently launched by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) College of
Engineering to enable students from at least two different schools to undertake projects
that require overlapping skillsets.
Providing industry touchpoints
Internships and industry attachments give students the opportunity to apply theory to
1.5.
practice. Currently, all IHLs offer internship programmes to their design students.7
For example, Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) School of Design piloted a nine-month
internship in 2018 called the “Work-based Learning Programme” in response to
the growing adoption of service design for innovation.8 The Singapore University of
Technology and Design (SUTD) has a Technology Entrepreneurship Programme for
students to embark on term-long work immersion experiences in the USA and China.
Besides internship programmes, industry projects are also incorporated into the formal
1.6.
curriculum to deepen design skills and strengthen industry-relevant learning outcomes.
An example is the Industry Studio Project (ISP) at the Temasek Polytechnic (TP) where
students can collaborate on live projects with industry partners. After the ISP, students
6 These projects are typically about 13 weeks long. Some of the competition projects include the Lee Hsien Loong Interactive Design
and Media Smart Nation awards, URA’s CUBE (Challenge for Urban and Built Environment) awards and the 3D printing awards.
7 The duration of a typical work internship programme in ITE is between 10 to 20 weeks, 12 to 22 weeks in the polytechnics, 5 to 16
weeks in the AUs, and 5 to 16 weeks in the AIs.
8 Students on this programme worked as designer-cum-service design facilitators in sectors such as Hospitality and Food and
Beverage. They facilitated customer journey mapping projects at various departments while undertaking technical design work in
print and online mediums.
30R ECOMME N DAT I O N 1
undergo an internship programme that could then inform their Final Year Project. TP
has also partnered the DDB Tribal Worldwide Asia to launch the Equator, a satellite
office in the polytechnic, to provide mentorship, internship programmes and real client
projects for students.
The IHLs also offer a range of activities outside of the classroom to ensure learning
1.7.
goes beyond the formal curriculum. ITE, NP and NYP created Maker Spaces for
students to apply their design skills to ideate and create new products. In NAFA,
“white space”—a common timeslot set aside in the curriculum—enables students from
different schools to come together to design and implement interdisciplinary projects.
Curricular flexibility is also espoused in TP, where two “flex” weeks in a semester
are set aside for students to attend talks and workshops by industry speakers. At NP,
design students can also meet alumni entrepreneurs weekly through an Entrepreneur-
in-Residence programme. Learning also takes place in the form of co-curricular
interest groups in SUTD where there are many clubs that work to acquire design and
entrepreneurship skills.9
1.8. The design faculties in the IHLs have also initiated partnerships with public service
agencies, non-governmental organisations, social service organisations, design studios,
and industry partners in the non-design sectors, to better understand the value of
design in these industries. At the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), graduating
students of the Communications Design faculty have established working relationships
with industry associations and professional bodies such as the Institute of Advertising
Singapore and The Design Society, and have the opportunity to meet with them weekly.
SIT interior design students have also worked on real-world studio projects with public
service agencies, non-profit organisations, and professional association over the years.
The design schools in the IHLs also organise graduation shows for design students
to showcase their portfolios to potential employers. These initiatives offer students a
variety of industry touchpoints to better prepare them to enter the workforce.
To ensure the quality and relevance of the design curriculum, each IHL has an advisory
1.9.
committee to offer guidance and insights on industry needs. Polytechnics also conduct
minor reviews of their courses at the end of each semester and hold a major review
every three to five years. They work with design industry professionals through their
School Advisory Committees (SACs) to ensure that curriculum content remains updated.
Beyond the institution-level efforts of the IHLs, the Ministry of Education (MOE) initiated
1.10.
the establishment of SkillsFuture Sector Coordinators (SSC) for the polytechnics and the
ITE to strengthen partnerships and coordinate engagements with industry. The SSC has
enabled more industry-relevant opportunities in the form of projects and internships for
students. The SSC for Design is led by NYP.
9 SUTD offers funding and space allocations to co-curricular clubs centred on Computer-Aided Design (CAD), game design, social
innovation or design, and the fabrication of novel Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones.
31R ECO M M E N DAT I O N 1
RECOMMENDATION 1
trengthen industry links through a Design Education Advisory
S
Committee
The IHLs are doing good work in ensuring that their design curriculum covers a broad
1.11.
range of skills and remains industry-relevant. Their efforts can be further strengthened
from a strategic and planning perspective. Currently, most of the SACs are heavily
represented by employers from the design sector. The IHLs would benefit from input
from employers in the non-design sectors as they are expected to be the drivers of
design employment in the future.
a. Strengthen education and industry links
The DERC notes the success of the SSCs in the polytechnics and the ITE, and proposes
1.12.
extending a platform to engage industry to the AUs and the AIs. This could be done
through the formation of a Design Education Advisory Committee (DEAC) to bring key
stakeholders in design higher education and industry together to facilitate partnerships
between the IHLs, employers and the government. The DEAC will comprise design
industry professionals, key industry leaders from non-design sectors, IHL leaders,
representatives from public service agencies, as well as international thought leaders.
IHL leaders
International Key industry
thought leaders leaders from
non-design sectors
INDUSTRY
Design industry Representatives
professionals from public service
EDUCATION
agencies
Strengthen education and industry links
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